INTRODUCTION: The Administrative Core provides the vital support for all programmatic activities, project investigators and staff in general. This Core bridges the activities of the Program with the National Institutes of Health, the Medical College of Wisconsin administrative departments, the Department of Physiology, and the investigators of the Program Project Grant. The staff of this Core is responsible for matters of personnel, purchasing and fiscal management. Core A coordinates annual reports to the National Institutes of Health, programmatic travel by Program Investigators, and visits by invited speakers and/or consultants. Core A also coordinates dissemination of vital information within the Program, organizes scientific meetings and seminars related to the Program, and coordinates the activities of the internal and external advisory committees.